


Let Me Show You

by kiyala



Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-08
Updated: 2010-06-08
Packaged: 2017-10-12 02:29:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/119793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Ichigo and Ishida try each other's roles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Me Show You

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has been a LONG time coming and is for the most lovely [**hidden_gems**](http://hidden-gems.livejournal.com/), based on her fanart of the same title, [Let Me Show You](http://hiddengems.deviantart.com/art/Let-Me-Show-You-121920110)... which is already a year old! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to FINALLY have this done.

  
The Hollows had become more intelligent. Though nobody could remember seeing any low-level Hollows during the war, it was apparent that even in the absence of Aizen, they were thriving, multiplying and learning the advantage of attacking in groups. Perhaps it was chance, or the Hollows being drawn to the particularly high density of spiritual energy in Karakura, but it had been barely a month after the war when the swarms began.

While the numbers were intimidating, their actual strength was not. Ishida had been first to arms, being especially sensitive to other reiatsu. Ichigo, who had been on bed rest and under the careful watch of Urahara, his own father and several others, had followed as soon as word reached him. Their partnership had been shaky at first, each unwilling to give way to the other. But eventually and perhaps unconsciously, they fell into a rhythm. By the time more help had arrived, through Orihime and Sado, it had been impatiently waved away.

 _You're getting in our way_ , they had said almost in unison, save for a half-second difference. They stood back to back, dispatching Hollows with an efficiency and synchrony that had never before existed between them.

It was they who had proposed the idea of a guard against future attacks of the same nature and, to the surprise of none, put themselves forward as the ones who would shoulder such responsibility. Ishida was the fastest and Ichigo the strongest that Karakura had, which made them the perfect candidates. Urahara, seeing that they had already decided the matter themselves, did not protest. With the two in charge of Karakura's defence, it gave him more time to study the strange nature of these Hollow attacks.

The partnership between Ichigo and Ishida was rocky at the best of times as egos clashed and they taunted each other for their mistakes as often as they congratulated each other for their successes. But from the partnership grew a deep respect and slowly, it was no longer limited to the battle field and eventually became much more personal. If either of them were surprised at where their strange relationship had taken them, they didn't show it. They argued as often, but the stakes became just that little higher. Dropping their guard and allowing a Hollow to attack their battle partner now carried the additional sting of being responsible for the harm of somebody immeasurably important to them. And the rewards for a successful battle, with adrenaline still coursing through them and their battle lust being easily redirected to other matters, were all that much more enjoyable.

Urahara had soon discovered the reason for the swarms. With Aizen's use of the Hougyoku, the balance of spirits in the three spiritual planes had been severely skewed. The swarms were like the world's own way of maintaining equilibrium, pouring them out to be simply destroyed by Ishida's Quincy powers or sent to Soul Society by Ichigo. Unfortunately, this meant that there was nothing that could be done other than simply facing these monsters night after night until the swarms had simply exhausted themselves.

It was a week before an entire year had passed since the defeat of Aizen. It was nearly midnight and Ichigo and Ishida ran through the streets, preparing to launch a pre-emptive attack on a large swarm of Hollows not unlike the one that had inadvertently brought the two of them together to begin with.

Ishida had long since adopted the role of tactician, sensing the locations of their targets and plotting them in his mental map of the town. He issued instructions, selecting his words carefully and making them count.

"Fifty this time," he muttered, unbuttoning the cuff of his sleeve and allowing his Quincy pentacle to dangle freely from his wrist, "There are buildings nearby. Watch what your sword hits."

Ichigo grinned. They'd both been responsible for more than enough collateral damage in the past to have gained reproach from even Urahara. He thought he saw the corner of Ishida's mouth curve upward, but then the Quincy was speaking again.

"Go ahead of me and take the ones closest to you. I'll shoot the rest down."

Nodding at each other, they parted. Ichigo picked up his pace, covering the remaining distance by shunpo. Ishida glanced around to ascertain that no human eyes were watching before using hirenkyaku to station himself on a rooftop near the Hollows.

Ichigo's first battle cry rang through the night as he felled a Hollow. The attack drew attention to him and the remaining Hollows drew closer. Ichigo was sorely outnumbered, but this did not concern Ishida, who summoned his bow and under the rapid fire of arrows, the Hollows' numbers were immediately down to half. Ichigo didn't turn his head fully, but Ishida picked up the small twitch that told him that the Shinigami had made a mental note of his partner's position. Neither had long to linger on this, preparing for the next charge.

They had come to understand the Hollows' attack patterns through repetition and the next move came as predicted. While the rearmost Hollows hung back and began to form a wide circle around Ichigo, the rest charged at him. He met the move with his own, taking a Hollow in its mask before moving to the next. Then, the Hollows did something unexpected.

Breaking from the close combat, a little over half of the remaining Hollows changed targets. Ichigo stumbled as his blade sliced through air, the brief feeling of disorientation disappearing the moment he realised what was happening, replaced by a jolt of irrational panic.

Ishida did not notice Ichigo's concern, his attention focused on the approaching Hollows. He shot them down as they leaped towards him, clicking his tongue in irritation as one disappeared to give him a clear view of Ichigo, simply standing there and watching him.

"Kurosaki, pay attention!" he warned, firing an arrow at a Hollow directly behind the redhead. The action kept him occupied for long enough to allow one of the Hollows charging at him to come within an uncomfortably close range. Frowning, Ishida reached for one of the handles of his Seele Schneider hanging by his hip. before he could pull it from his belt, a sword sliced through the Hollow and it disappeared to reveal a scowling Ichigo.

Acknowledging that there were more pressing matters at hand, Ishida refrained from scolding Ichigo. Instead, he turned and simply said, "Back to back."

Reverting to one of their most earliest and simplest tactics, they destroyed the rest of the Hollows quickly. Scanning the area to ensure there weren't any others, Ishida let his bow vanish and sighed.

Ichigo's hand was on his shoulder, turning him around for a quick inspection of battle wounds. "Are you okay?"

"Nothing more than a damaged ego," Ishida replied, but he sounded considerably angry. "I refuse to accept that we've been outsmarted by a pack of Hollows. I've become far too complacent in the routine of these attacks. All it took was one small change in tactics and our entire battle plan was in shambles!"

"I'm fine too, thanks for asking," Ichigo said with a grin, but it quickly disappeared. "You aren't some sort of field commander, you know. Leave that to the captains at Soul Society."

Ishida snorted. "Of course. Shinigami know how to do everything, don't they?" The anger hadn't left his voice and now that he had somebody to direct it towards, he made no attempt to rein it back in. "You weren't even paying attention down on that street. If I hadn't seen the Hollow behind you, it would have done damage. Perhaps even something serious!"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. Tolerant as he tried to be with Ishida's bad moods, there was only so much his own pride could take. "You could've told me it was there and then gone back to defending yourself. Maybe then that other Hollow wouldn't have gotten so close to you that I had to save you."

At this, Ishida bristled and his tone became cold. "Are you implying that I _needed_ saving, Kurosaki? I'm perfectly find on my own."

Ichigo's scowl deepened. "You think you could've taken that Hollow with Seele Schneider, Uryuu? You were still drawing it when I got up here."

"Not everyone fights mindlessly like you do! I would have gained some ground with hirenkyaku if I needed it."

"Mindlessly?" Ichigo repeated bitterly. "After this long fighting side by side, you still say I fight without thinking?"

The rational voice in the back of Ishida's mind was warning him that he was letting a simple frustration get too far out of control, but he paid no heed. "What I'm saying is that some days, _I_ feel like I could do better with that damn sword."

Ichigo looked stung before quickly masking it with anger. "Yeah? I don't even see you using Seele Schneider all that much. Sure, you're good at ranged attacks but what the hell would you do if any enemy gets too close? Get stabbed through the stomach again?"

There was a flicker of emotion in Ishida's eyes that Ichigo couldn't quite place. Then the Quincy spoke evenly. "Fine. Tomorrow night, I'll show you how well I fight with Seele Schneider."

"No," Ichigo said, folding his arms across his chest. "You said you think you can do a better job than I can with my zanpakuto. It's about time you started backing up those claims that you're better than a Shinigami. And I'll show you how a real swordsman fights with Seele Schneider."

"Seele Schneider isn't even a sword," Ishida pointed out, but Ichigo wasn't swayed.

"Could've fooled me, with how much you use it like one. If you're going to bring it out in close combat, I might as well show you how to do it right. Unless you want to back down."

Ishida's eyes narrowed and Ichigo felt a smug satisfaction knowing that he had appealed to the one part of his companion that wouldn't listen to rational thought - his pride.

"You're on, _Shinigami_ ," Ishida hissed the last word as though it were an insult. It was something he barely did these days and a true testament to how irritated he felt. Still, Ichigo was not deterred.

The Quincy turned, the sharp movement causing his short cape to flap out, trailing behind him as he stalked off in the direction of his apartment. Ichigo followed at a casual pace, as though the deep frown on Ishida's face was of no importance. And it wasn't, as Ishida's tense posture and harsh expression had relaxed considerably by the time they were both in the dark apartment, lit only by the muted moonlight obscured behind a cloud.

Ichigo pulled Ishida into his arms and held him with nothing short of possessiveness. With a sigh, the Quincy rested his head back on Ichigo's shoulder, previous irritation all but forgotten. As good as Ichigo was at provoking Ishida, he had come to be equally as good at calming him down. He brushed his lips against Ishida's neck in a mix of a nuzzle and a kiss, too tired for anything more.

"I'm glad you didn't get hurt." He paused and then added, "And thanks for taking care of that Hollow behind me."

Turning his face so his lips could meet Ichigo's, Ishida smiled. "Thank you for taking care of the one charging at me. You idiot."

Ichigo was not irritated by the term, knowing Ishida well enough to see that it was being used as an endearment rather than an insult. Ishida straightened up and reached for Ichigo's wrist as he led the way to the bedroom.

"Sleep," he murmured and the fatigue showed in his voice for the first time all night. The bright red numbers on the bedside alarm clock indicated that it was close to three.

They undressed in an unhurried manner that was a stark contrast to when they were anticipating sex. Ishida glanced at the Shinigami robes that Ichigo hung over the back of a chair and sat on the bed. "Why do you still use the badge to push yourself out of your human body when you can use your zanpakuto even when you aren't in human form? I thought that, because of the... Hollow, you were like the Vaizard."

Ichigo stiffened visibly and shivered in the cool air of the night. He joined Ishida on the bed, who pulled the blankets over them and looked at the ceiling as he spoke, "You still don't like it?"

"Just because I'm _like_ them, it doesn't mean I'm one of them," Ichigo explained and even though he wasn't looking, Ishida could tell he was frowning. "I don't want to be part of their stupid group. I just want to be me."

Ishida rolled onto his side and shifted so his arm was around Ichigo and the sleepiness crept into his voice as he spoke. "That's completely understandable."

Murmuring good nights to each other, they let exhaustion finally claim them and slept deeply.

*

  
By their lunch break the next day, it was clear that while there was no longer any argument between the two of them, their agreement to exchange roles for the night had not been forgotten. Ishida had a distant look in his eyes that Ichigo had learned to be an indication that the Quincy was lost in thought. It didn't require very much thought to know what was on Ishida's mind but knowing that he wouldn't receive an explanation until he asked for one, Ichigo sat down beside Ishida on the rooftop as they ate and lowered his voice when he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Ishida glanced around at them before looking at Ichigo. Perhaps it was chance, or perhaps Ichigo's reiatsu had some kind of contagious quality, but they had found that by the end of the war, every single person who sat with them on this rooftop could, at the very least, see Shinigami and Hollows. While this meant that they no longer needed to be secretive about fighting Hollows, Ichigo and Ishida barely discussed fighting the swarms with any others - not even Sado or Orihime.

Speaking in an equally quiet voice, Ishida replied, "I didn't even think to consider it last night, but if you are to fight with Seele Schneider and I with... Zangetsu," he pronounced the name cautiously, awkwardly aware of the importance of a zanpakuto's name to its master, "...I don't think it will be too difficult for you, as you are using an extra weapon rather than the bow itself. But how am I going to use a weapon that is only intended to be used by you?"

Ichigo frowned. "Good point. Damn."

Ichigo continued, "Seele Schneider, being a Quincy weapon, relies on your ability to stabilise energy to form a blade. I... don't expect you to be able to do that, but I should be able to take care of that for you while you fight. Which... just leaves the problem of your sword."

Eyes brightening as an idea occurred to him, Ichigo placed his food down and sat back against the wall behind them. "Give me a minute."

Ishida nodded, even though he felt uncomfortable watching as Ichigo shut his eyes and relaxed as though he were falling asleep. Knowing that he'd retreated to his inner world, Ishida waited. A minute passed and then another. Ichigo stirred and blinked his eyes open, seeing the poorly concealed worry in Ishida's eyes and grinning a little.

"Talked to the old man. Told him I was going to let you use him. He said he'll cooperate. You're the only person he'd do that for."

Flushing in a mix of embarrassment and anticipation, Ishida nodded. "Problem solved, then."

"He did say that no one's tried it before, so it might be hard. We have to be careful. But if anyone can do it, we can."

This ignited a spark of inspiration that shone in Ishida's eyes. His eyebrows drew together as he began to think again and Ichigo watched in amusement, leaving him to his thoughts for the moment. Barely a minute later, Orihime cleared her throat, gaining their attention. Ishida's contemplative frown disappeared as he, along with the rest of the group on the rooftop, listened to what she had to say with nothing short of surprise.

"Sado-kun and I are boyfriend and girlfriend."

Ichigo blinked. He considered Sado his best friend, and hadn't even known that he'd felt anything for Orihime beyond the unwavering friendship that tied them all together. Then he considered his own relationship with Ishida, and realised that it wasn't so surprising. He glanced to his side at the Quincy, catching the expression that nobody else but him knew equated to relief. Then, aware that he was being watched, Ishida turned to him and with a tilt of the head, indicated that they should speak to Sado.

"I'm surprised," Ishida admitted as they reached Sado. Giving the taller teen a wry grin, he added, "I like to think I'm more perceptive than the average person. So much for that."

Sado looked amused. "You've both been busy with Hollows. It makes sense. I should have said something."

Ichigo shook his head, honestly not bothered by it and genuinely happy for his friends. They heard Orihime explaining to some of the girls that she and Sado had gone out to dinner twice over the past week and things had just fallen into place. Ichigo was very familiar with the way relationships could fall into place without meaning to, but he was more concerned by the way Ishida's shoulders stiffened at the mention of dates.

Interpreting it as envy, Ichigo sought to find something to distract Ishida with. The bell for the end of their lunch break rang and everyone turned to the door of the stairwell, to return to class. Finally coming up with something, Ichigo fell in step with Ishida and spoke in a low voice so that only the Quincy would hear.

"So what's this new plan of yours?" he asked, "I saw you thinking pretty hard before."

As Ichigo had hoped, the dark look in Ishida's eyes made way for something more excited. "Just you wait. You'll find out, by the end of the day."

Ichigo smiled, half in relief and half in anticipation as Ishida returned to his plans.

By the end of the school day, Ishida was utterly lost in thought. Ichigo waved to his friends before joining the Quincy, who jumped at the hand on his shoulder.

"What's got you thinking so hard this time?" Ichigo asked, leading them around a corner into a quiet alley where he could steal a kiss, out of sight from the others.

"You'll see tonight," Ishida murmured in reply, enjoying their proximity for a moment before pulling away.

"Now that sounds promising," Ichigo remarked with a sly grin that earned him a mock punch in the shoulder.

"Not like that. Come over tonight before we head off to fight, and you'll see."

"Can't I just follow you home now?"

"What are you, a lost puppy?" Ishida's best attempts to keep a straight face were futile when Ichigo did his best imitation of puppy dog eyes. Laughing quietly, he shook his head. "No. You can't follow me home because I need to... organise for my plan."

"Fine," Ichigo said reluctantly and leaned in for another kiss before Ishida could protest, "But you know what I realised? Our dates are pretty much nights we spend fighting Hollows. Maybe I'm selfish, but I want time with you that we don't have to share with Hollows."

This time, Ishida wrapped his arms around Ichigo's shoulders and returned the kiss. Pulling away, Ishida watched his companion closely. "...Is this about...?"

"Chad and Inoue?" Ichigo finished for him. "Yeah. It got to you too, didn't it?"

"More than I want to admit." Ishida shut his eyes and sighed. "It isn't as easy for us. But if it bothers us this much, we'll have to work something out, won't we?"

"More time for each other in between homework and Hollows," Ichigo muttered and even though he didn't feel optimistic about it, he managed a smile. "I'll see you later, Uryuu."

*

  
It was ten when Ichigo arrived at Ishida's apartment, despite the fact that the Hollow swarms didn't usually begin until midnight. Neither of them minded the two extra hours this gave them and Ishida chuckled as Ichigo gathered him into a tight embrace.

"You never hesitate when you want to fix something, do you?" he asked, fingers entangling in bright hair and lips seeking lips that always tasted faintly of chocolate.

"Never," Ichigo agreed, loosening his grip on Ishida but still grinning. "So we've got two hours and I don't even want to think about Hollows until eleven-thirty."

"Technically, you just did," Ishida pointed out.

"Smart arse," Ichigo grumbled, picking Ishida up as though he weighed nothing and settling down on the couch with him.

"So what do you suggest we do?" Ishida asked and then cut in before Ichigo could reply, "And I refuse to listen to any ideas that involve my bed until _after_ we finish off the Hollows."

"Do you enjoy ruining my fun, Ishida?" Ichigo asked with a playful look and bit the Quincy's neck in the exact place that would have him cursing his own rule. Surely enough, Ishida growled and pulled away with a hungry look in his eyes.

"You didn't mention anything about the couch," Ichigo pointed out. "And I know how much you like loopholes."

With an expression that was half impressed, half exasperated, Ishida pushed himself off Ichigo and stood, shaking his head. "The time we spend together when we aren't fighting Hollows is almost always dedicated to sex anyway," he pointed out. He folded his arms across his chest. "Surely, there's more to us than killing and screwing."

Sitting up, Ichigo chuckled at the description. "Sure there is," he said, ticking them off with his fingers as he listed them, "Arguing, teasing, competing, and my favourite one, getting out of things alive."

"You know what I mean," Ishida said and folded his arms across his chest. "Get up. We're going out."

"A pre-date date?"

"I wish you'd refrain from referring to our fighting with Hollows as _dates_."

"No you don't," Ichigo said, and he knew it was true. Passing them off as though they were meant to be fun was entirely necessary to distract them from the fact that while the routine nature of the Hollow attacks made them easier to fight, it also came with a degree of helplessness and a great deal of exhaustion. For almost a year, ruthless destruction met the Hollows whenever they appeared and yet their numbers didn't seem to dwindle.

Ichigo noticed the dull look in his lover's eyes, not for the first time, and felt a surge of anger. Ishida's eyes were usually a bright blue - particularly bright in the dark - and for a moment, he was filled with murderous hate for the hollows that were causing that brightness to fade. He rose to his feet in a movement that none but Ishida would have been able to see and then his arms were around the slender frame of the other teen, their lips pressed together in a firm kiss.

"I love you," he said, feeling his own chest tighten at the words. It was a phrase they had both agreed not to take lightly. They were secure in the knowledge of the depth of their relationship and only reminded each other of it when they truly felt the need to.

Murmuring the same, Ishida rested his forehead against Ichigo's. "We can't do this forever," he finally admitted, sounding as weary as he did before falling asleep the previous night. "We chose this responsibility and the thought of pushing it onto someone else makes me feel guilty. But I can't do this every night, Ichigo. Neither can you."

Ichigo made a sound of agreement and pulled the Quincy towards the door. "Well, let's see if we can find something to get our minds off this for a while."

They found a small café that was open until the small hours of the morning and sat at a table near the back. There was a small group of girls also sitting in the café, flirting with the two waiters that were on, which provided no privacy for them to act anything but platonic, but this suited them fine as neither were given to public displays of affection. They ordered coffee and talked of anything and everything that came to mind. They were laughing over a joke Ichigo had made when Ishida's eleven-thirty alarm went off. Their smiles vanished and Ichigo cursed under his breath. Turning the alarm off, Ishida sighed.

"Back to my apartment, then."

Ichigo, who was determined to hold onto whatever fun he could, smirked at his companion. "Race you."

The corner of Ishida's lips twitched upwards. Leaving the café, they waited until they were out of sight.

"Window's unlocked," Ishida murmured. He left it that way out of habit, as Ichigo regularly used it to sneak into the apartment.

" _Go_!" Ichigo called and they disappeared in a blur of motion.

The curtains in Ishida's bedroom whipped open in a sudden gust, once to admit the Quincy and no more than two seconds after, Ichigo. Ishida smirked smugly, though both of them had known the outcome of the race before they'd even started. The self-satisfied look on Ishida's face made way for a smile that was genuinely happy. "I like the fact that we can do things like that without waiting for you to get out of your real body. Vaizard or not, it's definitely something."

Ichigo smiled, but it was guarded. "Yeah, but then you remember that part of this power is thanks to a Hollow."

Ishida's smile faded. "True. A Hollow you now have complete control over."

As soon as possible after the war, Urahara, Isshin and the Vaizard themselves had stepped in to ensure that any threat Ichigo's Hollow could pose was eliminated. It had been a torturous process, if Ichigo's expression when he thought of it was any indication. It wasn't something either of them brought up very often. Seeking to change the subject, Ichigo looked around the room now that his eyes had adjusted to the dark. His gazed stopped on some clothes folded on Ishida's bed.

" _Oh_!" Ishida followed his gaze and sounded positively excited. "My plan."

Ichigo looked at his companion curiously. "Your plan, huh? ...Explain."

Crossing the room and picking up one set of clothes, Ishida turned to him. "We're doing something that has never been attempted before. We're switching roles. I believed it to be of enough significance to warrant new outfits."

Suddenly, the clothes made more sense. The white and blue material in the Quincy's hand took a familiar shape now that it actually made sense to him. It was a coat - Ichigo's coat to be precise. The one he wore in his bankai state, but instead of its threatening black and red, the colours were much more gentle. It was white, trimmed with blue and lined with a darker blue. He then recognised the familiar shape of the Quincy uniform folded on the bed, but instead of the white and blue he'd become so used to seeing, it was black and red.

"You're insane," Ichigo breathed. "I hope you know that."

"Insane?" Ishida frowned a little. "I can't have you handling Seele Schneider dressed as a _Shinigami_. And I would feel awkward using your zanpakuto in Quincy garb."

Ichigo nodded, a little hesitantly. "...That makes sense. I think."

"Wonderful." Ishida picked up the inverted Quincy uniform and held it out. "Go ahead and change."

Ichigo regarded the uniform and hesitated. Finally, he turned to Ishida. "You first."

Ishida inclined his head, having anticipated that response. Turning slightly away from Ichigo out of self-consciousness as he undressed, he placed his clothes in a folded pile on the mattress before dressing in his own version of Ichigo's bankai clothes.

Ichigo watched silently, surprised that it didn't look as incongruous as he had expected. Ishida turned back to fully face him, and the Shinigami couldn't help but let his gaze be drawn to the scar on his partner's chest, mostly uncovered by the low neck of the coat.

Aware of this fact and slightly uncomfortable about it, as he always was, Ishida fingered the V-neck in a mostly unconscious action. Remembering himself, Ichigo brought his gaze up to meet the Quincy's.

"You didn't have to wear it if it makes you uncomfortable, you know."

Ishida smiled without humour. He'd chosen to make an imitation of Ichigo's bankai clothes because it felt more like Ichigo and less like Shinigami in general. It was the most comfortable option he had, and he considered it fair trade if it meant his scar would be exposed. Ichigo was the only one who would live to see it, and he'd already seen it countless times.

"Your turn," he said, with an edge of impatience that had as much to do with changing the subject as it did with seeing Ichigo in his imitation of the Quincy uniform.

Ichigo took black and red Quincy uniform, holding it up to take a better look at it. He turned back to Ishida, who still looked slightly impatient. It faded into something softer and he finally spoke.

"I wouldn't allow just _any_ Shinigami to wear the uniform of a Quincy," Ishida said, his voice sounding cross but an affectionate look in his eyes. "Nobody but you."

Ichigo nodded in appreciation, not taking his gaze from Ishida, just as elegant as always in the white version of his own bankai clothes. He realised, as his eyes travelled over the carefully constructed coat, that being a Shinigami was just as precious to him as he knew being a Quincy was to Ishida.

He remembered a conversation with his father after the war. He had taken the first opportunity to ask his father every single question he had pushed to the back of his mind when he was fighting.

The most important question he had asked was why his father had chosen to give up his role as a Shinigami. What possible reason could he have had, Ichigo wondered, when he himself was managing it fine?

His father, eyes glazed over with fond memories of his late wife, had simply replied: _maybe you'll find the answer for yourself one day._

The thought scared Ichigo. Not only because the thought of something making him willingly give away such an important part of himself scared him, but because of the clear implications of Isshin's words.

He didn't want to think that perhaps one day, he would find somebody he felt a stronger attachment to than he did for Ishida. He was comfortable with how things were now: his fierce bond with the Quincy worked perfectly. Their powers complemented each other and regardless of the insignificant arguments they had, they protected each other's lives with a dedication that went far beyond a partnership on the battle field. Ichigo knew better than to give that up.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Ishida asked, bringing him out of his reverie. There was an affectionate look in the blue eyes as they watched him and Ichigo grinned his wide, silly grin and crossed the room in three long steps to gather Ishida in his arms and kiss him hard.

"I'm thinking about how lucky I am."

"To be wearing a Quincy uniform?" Ishida asked, covering up his embarrassment with a smirk. "Go on and change. I'm... interested to see how you will look."

Ichigo grinned, unbuckling the belt of his pants without caring that Ishida was watching. He was down to his underwear when Ishida spoke up.

"You won't be leaving your body behind tonight?"

Ichigo looked up as he did up the black pants. "Nah. The old man said it'd be better if I stayed in my body."

He took one look at the top section of the uniform and shot Ishida a helpless look. Chuckling, the Quincy took it out of Ichigo's hands and showed him where the zippers were, helping him into it and fastening the cape over it.

"There," Ishida murmured, taking a step back and let his gaze wander over the dark clothes.

Ichigo flushed at the appraising look in Ishida's eyes, running his hands over the clothes in a self-conscious manner. "It's like I'm wearing a dress over pants."

"You look fine," Ishida breathed. "More than fine."

A smirk crept across Ichigo's lips. "Yeah?"

"See for yourself," the Quincy murmured, opening one of the closet doors and pulling Ichigo to stand before the mirror, rearranging the cape to sit properly.

"Wow." Ichigo raised his eyebrows. "It..."

"Suits you," Ishida finished. "Here. To finish it off - Seele Schneider."

Ichigo took it into his hand. Currently nothing more than a handle, it was lightweight and cool in his hand. He turned it over in his hands, marvelling at it before looking up.

"Okay. Zangetsu, then." He frowned a little in concentration and felt a sense of reassurance from somewhere within him. The spirit of the blade was encouraging him. When he was in Shinigami form, out of his body, his zanpakuto was always there by default. In human form, he needed to call on part of himself instead, somewhat similar to the way Ishida summoned his bow.

He felt the handle in his hand and exhaled slowly, tightening his grip on it and glancing at it. The sense of victory he felt was further fuelled by the awe in Ishida's voice.

"...Tensa Zangetsu? You went bankai in your human form?"

"Yeah. For the first time. Figured it was time to try it out - see if I can do it without the mask." Ichigo smiled, clearly pleased with himself. "Here. Zangetsu. It's probably easier for you in this form instead of the massive sword I'm usually swinging around, right?"

"If you're implying that I would find it difficult to handle Zangetsu in shikai form, you are sorely— _oh_." Ishida abruptly fell silent when he took hold of the zanpakuto, visibly paling.

"Uryuu?" Ichigo's voice was immediately panicked. "You can't just say _oh_ with no explanation."

Ishida blinked and adjusted his grip on the sword with a frown. "...I think I'm used to it, now. It felt strange to begin with. A Quincy is definitely not meant to wield a weapon that even another Shinigami shouldn't be using."

"We just did something really dangerous, didn't we?"

"Indeed we did."

"A dumb idea."

"Our worst yet."

Ichigo frowned. "Are we going to abandon it?"

This made Ishida smirk. "Hell no."

"There's a damn good reason you're my favourite battle partner," Ichigo said, leaning in to kiss Ishida, who happily reciprocated. Pulling him closer, Ichigo grinned. "Something tells me that we won't be going straight to sleep after we're done with the Hollows tonight."

Tugging on Ichigo's lower lip with his teeth, Ishida returned the grin with his own. "Oh really."

"I'm surprisingly good at picking up cues from people, Ishida," he said in a mock-superior tone, making the Quincy snort in disbelief. Running his fingers trough the soft, dark hair, he smirked deviously. "and I wouldn't mind finding out just how far we can get before those Hollows decide to drop by."

"Tempting, Kurosaki..." Ishida let his gaze wander, taking in every detail of the way Ichigo looked in the black and red uniform. His fingers toyed with the zipper at the high collar. "Very tempting."

But a Hollow chose that exact moment to appear, leading the first swarm for the night. It let out a baying cry that was then echoed by other Hollows as they appeared.

Ishida swore under his breath, taking a step back from Ichigo and tightening his grip on Zangetsu. "Let's go."

"Uh..." Ichigo held up the handle of Seele Schneider, still useless without its blade. He flinched at the sudden flash of blue, which then formed a steady edge for a blade.

"We need a better battle plan tonight, because we're both fighting at close range with weapons we're not used to."

"A blade's a blade," Ichigo muttered, standing ready. The look on his companion's face showed that he did not agree, but nothing was said on the matter.

"I'm at a particular disadvantage," Ishida admitted. "We both know that I'm much better at ranged combat. We'll need to step up our game tonight."

"We can do it," Ichigo replied with a nod. "Even if you're not used to Zangetsu, you're fast. And smart enough to get out of danger when you're in it."

Ishida bit back a wry grin upon noticing that the last part sounded slightly hesitant and more a suggestion than anything else. He looked ahead of them and nodded. "Let's go."

Ichigo glanced at the Seele Schneider in his hand, adjusting his grip. He was well accustomed to using blades that did not have guards, but found that he missed the feeling of the bandages that provided grip. The smooth metal of the handle his fingers were tightly closed around was intended for minimal handling. After all, the only weapons a Quincy used were a bow and arrow.

Ishida tensed when the Hollows appeared into sight. His fingers itched for his bow, but he held back the urge and glanced at Ichigo, who silently nodded and led the attack. The Hollows turned their attention to him, leaving an opening for Ishida to attack.

Zangetsu was far heavier than what he was used to. While his bow did require physical strength, it was equally dependent on his ability to manipulate the energy around him. The zanpakuto, on the other hand, required much more physical strength, while maintaining the Seele Schneider Ichigo was using required his attention as much as it did when he used it himself, if not more.

He had not entirely recovered from the initial shock Zangetsu had given to his system, but Uryuu kept the strain to himself, lifting the blade and charging at another Hollow. A large hand reached to knock him aside and he barely dodged it, cutting it out of his way and using the momentum of the swing to strike at the Hollow's mask. Relying on hirenkyaku to move between Hollows was an additional strain on his reiatsu, but it was still preferable over running with the zanpakuto in his hands. Heavy as it was, Ishida did have the arm strength for it and he slowly became used to the weight, improving his technique through trial and error.

A glance at Ichigo told him that he was also struggling to get used to using a different weapon. While Zangetsu's weight made it difficult to swing properly for Ishida, the light weight of Seele Schneider was causing Ichigo to overswing.

Unwilling to tease Ichigo when he was struggling himself, Ishida yelled his encouragement, finishing off the Hollows near him before helping Ichigo with the remaining ones.

"That's all of them," he panted, resting Zangestu with its blade down.

Ichigo looked equally tired, but grinned. "That was fun. Told you that you'd be fine. ...I think we'll be hit again soon, though. I saw one of the Hollows disappear for reinforcements before I could stop it."

"I see." Ishida frowned. The only way to end a swarm for the night was to destroy all the Hollows before they could call for another swarm to take their place. Almost as though it were a game for them, with no care for whether they died.

"We need to finish them with the next hit," Ishida said, not mentioning that he doubted he could withstand a third with Zangetsu.

"Before that..." Ichigo said, reaching for his zanpakuto before reconsidering and holding Seele Schneider up as an example instead. "Let me show you the right grip. It'd probably help."

By the time Ishida had learned how to properly hold the sword, the slight ripple in the energy around them indicated the next swarm was coming.

"Argh. They're on the opposite side of town," Ishida muttered, turning in the direction of the Hollows' reiatsu.

"Race you?" Ichigo suggested and without waiting for a response, he was off.

Ishida lost the race. By the time he arrived, Ichigo was already fighting, having adjusted his fighting style to suit the lighter weapon. Ishida paused for a moment, noting that the speed with which Ichigo had adapted was a true testament to his skill. Then, a Hollow charged and Ishida was forced to turn his attention back to the matter at hand. His gaze travelled across the small park that served as their battlefield, once he had taken out the Hollow. His mind was currently occupied with too many things for him to be able to tell how many there were but he decided on _too many_.

The fact that Zangetsu was in its fully released state meant nothing when the sword wasn't in Ichigo's hand, which put them both at a disadvantage. Ishida frowned, raising the zanpakuto from offending attacks. This was far too different to the manner Ichigo used Zangetsu in, leaving Uryuu feeling as though he were using the zanpakuto the wrong way. He tightened his grip on the handle, remembering to hold it the way he had been shown. With his lips set into a thin line of determination, he leaped at the Hollows and sought to change his position from defence to offence. The sudden change in tactic took the first Hollow by surprise and he managed to destroy a second in the confusion that followed. Then, it drew the attention of the others and they moved in to surround him.

"Uryuu?" Ichigo called, clearly offering help.

He glanced in the direction of the bright orange hair. "Kurosaki, I'm absolutely fine—"

One of the Hollows took advantage of his momentary distraction to knock him to the ground and they closed in on him as he scrambled to pick up Zangetsu and get to his feet.

A loud shout told him that Ichigo was cutting his way through the Hollows.

"We're swapping back," Ichigo announced, too busy fighting the Hollows away from Ishida to remember to lower his voice. He snatched Zangetsu from the ground beside Uryuu and replaced it with Seele Schneider. "We're going to end this _now_. No holding back."

The zanpakuto was back where it belonged. Ichigo's eyes were bright with energy and he swung his blade, destroying three Hollows at once. Ishida took the cue, pulling his sleeve back and thanking every deity he knew of for the fact that he always wore his pentacle.

His bow was a comforting presence when he summoned it and with a warning shout for Ichigo to stay out of harm's way, he gained a comfortable distance from the Hollows and let fly.

Ichigo moved out of the range of fire just in time. He glanced backwards, watching the countless arrows of blue light as they shot through the monsters, leaving dissipating energy in their wake. By the time the light had faded, they were the only two remaining on the battlefield.

Ishida let out a heavy sigh and gave up on standing. Ichigo moved fast enough to catch him before he collapsed to his knees. They both sat and Ichigo watched in thoughtful silence before speaking.

"That was really hard for you." His tone was not mocking or accusatory, but concerned. "Using Zangetsu and letting me use Seele Schneider and everything else.... You look so tired."

Ishida wiped cold sweat from his forehead and took a deep breath. "I have a bad habit of taking on more than I can handle. Fighting without a bow is not my thing."

Ichigo laughed, pulling Ishida into his arms. "Of course it's not. You idiot."

"So, you win," the Quincy murmured. "You were fine with Seele Schneider. I was terrible with Zangetsu."

"Like that's even fair," Ichigo replied. "I know that if you gave me a bow, I wouldn't be half as good as you are. And that thing you did at the end to get rid of the Hollows? Fucking awesome."

Ishida laughed, already sounding less tired. "Shall we go home?"

"Can you stand?"

"Of course I can," he replied, getting to his feet. Ichigo didn't argue, knowing Ishida well enough to know that he would pretend everything was fine until collapsing before admitting that he couldn't walk. To Ichigo's surprise and relief, however, Ishida was walking fine. As they walked to his apartment, it seemed as though his energy was returning, rather than running out.

"I think it's one of the differences between Quincy and Shinigami," Ishida explained, noticing Ichigo's confusion. "A Shinigami uses their own reiatsu when they fight; a Quincy uses the energy around them. Using Zangetsu must have taken more energy than I realised. I'm feeling better now that I have my energy to myself."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "And you were using Zangetsu in bankai too. I thought I was making things easy for you. I probably made it even worse."

"I'm fine now," Ishida pointed out and Ichigo noted that he actually looked like it.

When they reached the apartment, Ishida smirked as he led the way inside, reminding Ichigo of the promise that had never really been forgotten. His heart had just calmed down from the battle, but watching Ishida and the way the inverted bankai coat looked on him was enough to set it racing once again.

Their touches were fleeting as they slid their shoes off, but there was a hungry look in Ishida's eyes, which Ichigo knew to be reflected in his own.

As much as Ishida enjoyed the teasing and foreplay that came before, his patience had worn far too thin. As soon as their shoes were off and they were past the door, he grabbed a handful of Ichigo's uniform and pulled him into a kiss. "I want you."

No more needed to be said. Ichigo returned the kiss fiercely and pulled Ishida to the bedroom. Tripping over the hakama, Ishida landed on the bed, eyes wide with lust.

"Stupid long skirt," he muttered, holding Ichigo's gaze.

"Not a skirt," Ichigo growled, straddling Ishida. He pulled at the top half of the Quincy uniform he wore. "But this? It's a dress."

"No it's not," Ishida argued, though his voice lacked the edge it usually had when defending his uniform. The wild look in his eyes became even clearer, his hand rubbing the front of Ichigo's pants. "Oh, you're so hard."

Ichigo laughed breathlessly, stroking Ishida's erection in return. "You want me to fuck you, Uryuu? Hard and fast?"

"Take—take your clothes off. Now," Ishida gasped.

"You first." Ichigo pulled him to his feet, taking the coat off before turning his attention to the hakama. He pulled at the obi and, frustrated that it wouldn't come off, moved so he stood behind Ishida instead to undo it as he would if he were the one wearing it.

"I could have done it myself," Ishida murmured, though he enjoyed the way Ichigo was rubbing up against him.

"This is more fun," came the reply, whispered into his ear before a warm tongue flicked against the lobe and Ichigo's teeth ran over the same skin . Ishida moaned, and then once again when Ichigo's teeth sank into his neck. The hakama fell to the floor and Ichigo's hand went straight to Ishida's erection, clearly outlined through his underwear. "Fuck, you want this real bad, don't you?"

He took Ishida's balls into one hand, alternating between kneading them hard and teasing with the gentlest pressure. If the Quincy's gasps were any indication, he was doing it right. His moans increased in pitch when Ichigo pushed a hand into the underwear, pulling it further down with every stroke.

"Mmm, yeah," Ichigo hummed appreciatively as his fingers closed around the warm erection. "Help me get out of this thing."

Ishida turned, his balance shaky, but Ichigo steadied him. Unzipping and unfastening the top of the uniform as quickly as he could, Ishida stepped backwards until the back of his legs found the bed. He reached for the condoms and lube on the night stand, preparing himself as Ichigo slid a condom on.

Licking his lips, Ichigo knelt on the bed over Ishida but hesitated when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Changed my mind. Lie down," Ishida spoke quietly, sounding impatient. Ichigo obeyed without question, cock twitching when Ishida crawled onto him, kissing him hard before explaining. "I'm going to fuck myself on you, Ichigo. Just how I like it."

Ichigo definitely didn't protest, head falling back against the pillows when Ishida rubbed the cock head against his entrance before slowly pushing it in. He gasped, eyes shut tightly as he took Ichigo to the hilt. Blinking his eyes open, he looked at Ichigo, holding the brown-eyed gaze as he moved. Slow to begin with, and then harder as he began to relax and crave more. Ichigo placed his hands on Ishida's hips, moving to meet his lover mid-thrust.

" _Ohhh._ " Ishida moaned, steadying himself with his hands on Ichigo's chest before taking hold of Ichigo's cock with one and guiding it into him at a specific angle.

"There," Ichigo whispered, familiar enough with Ishida's body to know what was to come. He thrust upwards, as hard as he could, and relished the long moan he drew from the Quincy. The look in the blue eyes when they opened again was nothing short of euphoric as he jerked his hips up and down, seeking that same place over and over.

"Ichigo," he gasped, and let out a sound that was part growl, part whimper. " _Ichigo_. Touch me."

Ichigo's hand closed over Ishida's erection, pumping it in time to their thrusts. He relished the way the moans changed pitch, and ignored the way Ishida bent over Ichigo's body, warning that he was coming. The Quincy released into Ichigo's hand with a low, desperate moan, gasping as Ichigo continued to thrust until he released as well.

Panting and laughing at the same time, they separated, regarded each other in their flushed, gratified states and moved to kiss each other. As Ichigo rolled them over so he was on top, they both knew they were nowhere near finished for the night.

*

  
Ichigo didn't usually make a habit of staying until morning, mostly because he didn't want to upset his sisters by missing breakfast with them. But he conceded that he deserved it every once in a while. That, and there was no way he was going to return home after the way he and Ishida had worn each other out.

They woke to a mess of condom wrappers and stained sheets, but Ishida was in far too good a mood to fuss over it just yet. His brain hadn't yet kicked in to tell him whether it was a school day or a weekend, but he decided that for now, he didn't care. Kissing Ichigo, he tried to sit up but then decided to lie down again with a quiet groan as his entire body protested.

Ichigo laughed, until he found that he was equally sore. Rolling onto his side, he pulled Ishida into his arms. "We'll get up later. Don't have school today anyway."

"Ishida and Kurosaki. Defeated not by Hollows, but by sex," Ishida murmured with a wry grin.

"I don't mind." Ichigo smirked. "We'll get out of bed later."

It was late afternoon when they were finally out of bed. They took their time dressing before making their way to Urahara Shouten. Urahara didn't look surprised to see them enter the store together and waved them over to a table that already had two cups of tea waiting for them.

"So what brings you here on this fine day?" Urahara asked with a casual smile, though neither of the boys doubted that he somehow already knew.

"It's about the Hollows," Ichigo began, noticing the flicker of interest in Urahara's shadowed eyes. "The swarms, I mean. They've been attacking every night for almost a year. It's not that it's hard or anything, but..."

"It's frustrating," Ishida picked up when Ichigo struggled for the right words. "Night after night of fighting is... bothersome, to say the least."

Urahara inclined his head in agreement. "Then you'll be pleased to know the balance has almost been restored between our worlds."

Ishida raised his eyebrows. Urahara smiled at him casually. "I've been receiving regular reports from Soul Society since you two began your culling. We've monitored the number of souls on either side... and with a little bit of research on Hueco Mundo, we can say it's coming back down to the way it should be. Perhaps a week longer and the swarms will stop. I can't predict the behaviour of the Hollows; I know their numbers are already dwindling but I doubt you would have noticed from the swarms."

"They've been just as large as always," Ishida said, and Ichigo grunted in agreement. "...You're saying that they'll keep going all-out until the equilibrium's re-established, or something? How long have you known that the swarms were coming to an end?"

"I was meaning to tell you," Urahara said, though both Ichigo and Ishida doubted his sincerity. "Couldn't have you become complacent, could we?"

Ishida shook his head, getting to his feet. "In that case, I'll just continue as before. Until there's no need to fight these terrors every night."

Urahara and Ichigo watched as the Quincy stalked out of the store. Ichigo turned to the exiled Shinigami, lowering his voice. "You're serious? The swarming and everything's going to end soon?"

Tapping his nose, Urahara smiled. "My research is thorough. I wouldn't say something like that without a good reason, would I Kurosaki-san? I suppose the question is what you're going to do with yourselves once you're no longer needed to fight every night?"

Ichigo snorted. "Like I'm actually going to miss it."

"Kurosaki," Ishida's voice came from outside, with an edge of impatience.

Urahara inclined his head, gesturing to the door. Ichigo nodded, standing and catching up with Ishida.

"Can you believe that man? Not telling us something this important—"

"Uryuu," Ichigo interrupted, and grinned, "You're just pissed you didn't notice it yourself."

Ishida gave him one of his barely noticeable smiles and they continued walking. "I can hardly believe that this is finally coming to an end... what are we even going to do once we don't have to stay up all night fighting monsters?"

"You're kidding, right?" Ichigo asked, his grin even wider. "We get to have real dates now."

"A date without killing something?" Ishida asked, looking amused, "What a concept."

Putting an arm around Ishida's shoulders, Ichigo sighed loudly. "I'm sure we'll manage."

They returned to Ishida's apartment and Ichigo made a contemplative sound as he considered the two inverted uniforms that were neatly folded on Ishida's bed.

Noticing this, Ishida smiled a little. "You realise that if we're no longer fighting every night, we wouldn't need these any more."

"Can't have that, can we?" Ichigo glanced at Ishida. "Maybe we should wear _these_ whenever we fight, now."

"That would be interesting to explain to anybody," Ishida replied. "Kind of taking wearing each other's clothes to an entirely new level."

"But we wouldn't use each other's weapons."

"Definitely not," Ishida replied, shaking his head at the very thought. "But we can't just get rid of these uniforms can we?"

"It'd be such a waste," Ichigo murmured, his hands on Ishida's shoulders, his mouth against the Quincy's ear. "Especially after I've seen how good you look in those robes."

Turning his head so their foreheads were together, Ishida smiled. "Nothing compared to the way you look in your Quincy clothes."

"I don't think so. I think we need to put those clothes back on to compare."

"Just to take them off again?" Ishida asked as he was backed towards the bed. "Really, Kurosaki. Don't you know anything about moderation?"

Ichigo snorted. "No. And you love it."

x

  



End file.
